Three years ago, Gulveer Singh could not keep up with two-time Olympic medallist Paul Chelimo in training.“His actual top-end speed could not even match world-class women,” said Scott Simmons, Gulveer’s long-time coach.Today, the Indian has rewritten history.On Tuesday night, Gulveer became the first Indian to win a medal in the men’s 10,000m at Commonwealth Games, claiming silver in an event traditionally dominated by African distance runners. But if Simmons is to be believed, the historic podium finish was not the result of a sudden breakthrough. It was simply another step in a carefully planned journey.“There are no shortcuts in distance events. You begin where you are and take the next logical step,” Simmons told TOI in an exclusive interview from Glasgow.The journey, however, is far from over. Gulveer will line up in the 5000m on Saturday, and his long-time coach believes another podium finish is well within reach. “With a silver in the pocket, and three days of recovery, Gulveer will give his best for another medal in the 5000m,” Simmons said.The American, however, knows the challenge will be very different.“The 10k silver will give him confidence for the 5000m, and we’ve discussed the field, which includes five from the 10k. But it will be a completely different race as the rest of the field will be fresh athletes.”The biggest concern before Saturday’s race, however, is recovery.“With three days recovery, we are hoping he will not feel the effects of the 10,000m, but realistically that was a very tough race given the conditions and the level of the field,” Simmons admitted. “However, as consistent Gulveer is in training, he is also very good at recovery. He knows his body well and knows how to effectively recover and adapt to hard efforts.”The silver itself was no accident. According to Simmons, Gulveer executed the race almost exactly as they had planned.“No leading, staying on the inside rail to run the shortest distance as much as possible, passing to stay in position 3-6 for the last 600 metres,” said Simmons, who heads the American Distance Project and coaches the US Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).That tactical discipline, however, was only one part of the transformation Simmons has overseen since taking charge of Gulveer. The other has been a steady improvement in every aspect of his running.“This year, we have continued to progress Gulveer’s fitness in all three abilities — aerobic strength, anaerobic power and finishing speed,” he added.Simmons attributes Gulveer’s rise not only to improving fitness but also to preparing for race situations long before competition day. “We came into CWG 10,000m final knowing that preparation had been 100%. We knew he could give his best. You cannot control your opponents. The only control you have is over yourself. Regardless of medals, we knew he was ready for a best performance,” the coach said.Whether that preparation results in another medal on Saturday remains to be seen. But Simmons knows the 5000m will present a different challenge.“In the 5000m, no less than six athletes have better personal bests than Gulveer, so he has to be fit enough to run faster than 12:59,” he remarked.For Simmons, though, Gulveer’s historic silver is not the destination but another milestone in a journey that is still unfolding.“Just as it was important for him to compete at the World Championships last year, after missing out on the Paris Olympics, I expect him to continue to be more relevant in world medals in the future,” he remarked.
